I say baseball again, because on my older site (now gone to the special place in techno heaven where these things go) I talked about baseball from time to time. I am an absolute nut about professional baseball and while my closest allegiances go to the Toronto Blue Jays (guess where I live), I also like the Red Sox, the (dreaded) New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, and host of other teams. I just love the game played well and wished that the Blue Jays could provide that night after night….not so.

I am reading “Wherever I Wind Up” by now Blue Jays vaunted knuckleballer, R.A. (Robert Allen) Dickey. The book is extraordinary and I am glad to add to my collection of superior baseball books: “Ball Four”, “The Long Season” (my all time favourite- by Jim Brosnan) et al. And while I mention it, I must encourage any of you baseball nuts to read this classic. I bought it first, when paperbacks were 0.25 cents. I’ve replaced that copy with a lovely twenty year old paperback that is, at this writing, in pristine condition. Back to the Dickey book: it is an amazingly detailed book with no attempt to sugarcoat what was a difficult childhood. I love that Dickey and David Price faced each other night (Cy Young winners in the same year).

As much as I love baseball today, and the modern game, I also read many older books, which allow you to savour the traditions and the myths of earlier times.